YouTube Updates Analytics Tool: Offers More Complete Data Patterns

Google has announced a new YouTube Analytics API which is designed to give more insight into viewer trends through “patterned data.”

The Impact of Video

Analytics are an important part of a business' ability to follow customer trends. Not only can they show how much content is being viewed, but also track how much engagement the content in question gets through shares, likes and comments. Previously, YouTube users had access to an API, the Insight Data API, but this service was limited as users could only see, for example, how many times a video was seen, how popular it was and viewer demographics.

Now, with the YouTube Analytics API, users can get a better picture of who is interacting and engaging with their video content and its social activity. As with the Insight Data API, users get access to general data such as how many viewers or shares a video has, but additional features include:

Watch Metrics: With this tool, users can track how many minutes visitors spend on a channel or with a particular video. Data can include average time watched and average view percentage.

Earning Performance Metrics: Since YouTube isn't just a video platform, users can see their estimated earnings or net revenue from advertisements.

Ad Performance Metrics: Earning Performance isn't the only revenue-related data this the analytics API can track, as it also categorizes how well a video is doing through such data as monetized playback, gross revenue, cost per impression and ad impressions.

Annotation Metrics:With this tool, users can see click through and close rate data.

To use the API users can build their own dashboard tool that specifically shows analytics from YouTube, integrate the tool with other business applications, or build mobile apps that can then integrate the analytics data.

If needed, users also have access to a client library that has code samples from nine different languages including Java, Python and Ruby, and users can also make HTTP RESTful requests and try sample reports from the API explorer.

Applications that are already using YouTube Analytics API include vidIQ an audience development suite to help brands build its audience, Vidyard a video marketing platform and Next Big Sound a tool that’s used by music industry professionals and companies.

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